Revelation 16:1-16:21 - Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
Revelation - The Lamb is Victorious • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Revelation 1 - Introduction
Revelation 1 - Introduction
Revelation 1:1-3 - Prologue & Benediction
Revelation 1:4-8 - Epistolary Introduction
Revelation 1:9-20 - A Vision of the Son of Man
Revelation 2-3 - The Seven Churches
Revelation 2-3 - The Seven Churches
Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter to Ephesus
Revelation 2:8-11 - The Letter to Smyrna
Revelation 2:12-17 - The Letter to Pergamum
Revelation 2:18-29 - The Letter to Thyatira
Revelation 3:1-6 - The Letter to Sardis
Revelation 3:7-13 - The Letter to Philadelphia
Revelation 3:14-22 - The Letter to Laodicea
Revelation 4-5 - The Throne Room
Revelation 4-5 - The Throne Room
Revelation 4:1-11 - A Vision of the Throne Room
Revelation 5:1-14 - The Lamb is Worthy
Revelation 6-8:5 - The Seven Seals
Revelation 6-8:5 - The Seven Seals
Revelation 6:1-8 - The First Four Seals
Revelation 6:9-17 - The Fifth and Sixth Seals
Revelation 7:1-17 - Who can Stand on the Day of the Lord?
Revelation 8:1-5 - Anticipation of Further Judgment
Revelation 8:6-11:19 - The Seven Trumpets
Revelation 8:6-11:19 - The Seven Trumpets
Revelation 8:6-13 - The First Four Trumpets
Revelation 9:1-21 - The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
Revelation 10:1-11 - The End is Near
Revelation 11:1-14 - The Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:15-19 - The Seventh Trumpet
Revelation 12:1-15:4 - The Seven Visions
Revelation 12:1-15:4 - The Seven Visions
Revelation 12:1-17 - The Woman, Child, and Heavenly Hosts Versus the Great Dragon
Revelation 13:1-10 - The Beast out of the Sea
Revelation 13:11-18 - The Beast from the Earth
Revelation 14:1-5 - The 144,000
Revelation 14:6-13 - The Proclamations of the Three Angels
Revelation 14:14-20 - The Harvest and Judgment
Revelation 15:1-4 - The Glory of God fills the Heavenly Sanctuary
Revelation 15:1-4 - The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb
Revelation 15:5-16:21 - The Seven Bowls
Revelation 15:5-16:21 - The Seven Bowls
Revelation 15:5-8 - The Glory of God fills the Heavenly Sanctuary
Revelation 15:5-8 - The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:1-21 - Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:1-9 - The First Four Bowls of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:10-11 - The Fifth Bowl of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:12-16 - The Sixth Bowl of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:17-21 - The Seventh Bowl of God’s Wrath
Purpose of Book
Purpose of Book
The purpose of Revelation is to challenge/encourage believers, who are expectantly awaiting the reign of Christ, to live faithfully for Him despite worldly circumstances, persecution, and the cosmic battle between God and Satan.
The purpose of Revelation is to challenge/encourage believers, who are expectantly awaiting the reign of Christ, to live faithfully for Him despite worldly circumstances, persecution, and the cosmic battle between God and Satan.
Main Point
Main Point
The seven bowls of God’s wrath is poured out on those who have not repented. Those in Christ are called to remain spiritually pure so they do not face the wrath of God.
The seven bowls of God’s wrath is poured out on those who have not repented. Those in Christ are called to remain spiritually pure so they do not face the wrath of God.
Revelation 16:1-9 - The First Four Bowls of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:1-9 - The First Four Bowls of God’s Wrath
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels
The Lord Himself initiates the bowls of wrath
6 “The sound of an uproar from the city!
A sound from the temple!
The sound of the Lord,
rendering recompense to his enemies!
In context of Isaiah 66, those who will not listen to the Lord through His prophet will certainly face judgment
Those who do not listen to the Lord here through His prophet John will certainly face judgment
“Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
Here is the question: Are these bowls apart of recapitulation of judgment from Christ’s ascension to His return or do these seven bowls come at the close of history?
There is weight behind both arguments, but it appears as though this series of seven is revealing what will happen at the close of history
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth,
The angel acts in obedience to the Father
And harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.
It is only those who follow the beast that have these sores come upon them
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea
The angel acts in obedience to the Father
And it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ ” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
Water, signifying life, is taken away as the waters become full of blood and everything is killed
Unlike the plagues in Egypt, this plague is not local, but global
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water
The angel acts in obedience to the Father
And they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say
This celestial being has been given command over the earth’s waters at some level - this is especially evident in Jewish thought
Enoch 66:2
2 And the Lord of Spirits gave commandment to the angels who were going forth, that they should not cause the waters to rise but should hold them in check; for those angels were over the powers of the waters.
Notice the similarities here and the song of Moses/the song of the Lamb the ones who have overcome sang
3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
Here is the angel’s message - Voices that God’s judgments are just and fair
God is just in issuing out his judgments against sin, wickedness, evil, and bringing His wrath upon His enemies
In light of these judgments, He is the Holy One - His wrath/judgment is not flippant or undeserved, it is entirely deserved because they have committed sin AND they have slain His children
Notice the description of God - who is and who was contrasted with
8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink.
Here is the reason why the waters have been turned to blood - they have killed the saints
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
Then all flesh shall know
that I am the Lord your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
It is what they deserve!”
Those who crush/oppose God’s people will ultimately be crushed by God Himself
7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”
7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”
7 And I heard the altar saying
The altar, corporate identity of the martyred saints, affirms the pleadings of the saints
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
“Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”
The corporate identity of the martyrs agrees with the angel
Their deaths are being avenged by the righteous Lord - His judgments are true, just, and faithful
4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun
The angel acts in obedience to the Father
We’ve seen the bowls poured out on the earth and waters - now the sun
And it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
Fire is often associated with judgment in Revelation
The Lord intensifies the sun and “sunstroke” or something like it is given to unbelievers
9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues.
The response of the unbelievers receiving this judgment is not repentance, but instead cursing the name of God
These individuals clearly perceive that the judgments are coming from God Himself
They did not repent and give him glory.
This is the natural condition of the human heart - rebellion
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is the goal of humanity? Glorify God by enjoying Him forever
Revelation 16:10-11 - The Fifth Bowl of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:10-11 - The Fifth Bowl of God’s Wrath
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast
The next place the seven bowls effect is the throne of the beast - Beast symbolizes the Roman Empire and God will attack all empires that refuse to acknowledge Him as the one, true God
And its kingdom was plunged into darkness.
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”
It is hard to determine exactly if this is literal darkness or if it symbolizes darkness - regardless people are in a tormented state
1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores.
People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores.
The judgments that are meant to turn people towards God have the opposite effect
They did not repent of their deeds.
They did not repent of their deeds.
People, in their sinful state, continue to reject the God of creation/redemption
Revelation 16:12-16 - The Sixth Bowl of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:12-16 - The Sixth Bowl of God’s Wrath
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
And its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
There have been at least 50 different interpretations regarding “the kings from the east”
In the Old Testament specifically, the east is where foreign nations or foreign enemies come from
3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
4 therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
This is preparation for the Day of the Lord battle - impending judgment for those who do not believe
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet
The unholy trinity makes a reappearance
Together they work in unison preparing for a great war using propaganda against the great God
Three unclean spirits like frogs.
Exodus 8:1-13 - Plague of frogs
They are unclean because they have demonic origins
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world
The unclean spirits are demonic and entice the kings of the whole world
The signs they are performing are specifically meant to mislead people away from God
To assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
The ultimate fate for those who have been misled is a battle against Christ on the great day of God the Almighty
The spirits misled the kings of the world to their DEATH
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
15 Behold, I am coming like a thief!
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
No one knows when the King will come, it is a mystery
Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Stay morally pure, do not give yourself over to wickedness and sin because we do not know when the king will return
If you join the forces of wickedness, your end will be like theirs - do not let the demonic spirits misled you
The dragon - Satan
The beast - Godless empires
False prophet - Those within the church who lead others away from biblical doctrine
16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Those deceived by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet gather together for a great war
Armageddon literally means Mount Megiddo, yet Megiddo was not a mount it was a plain, the city of Megiddo was built on a 70 foot mound
There is NO agreed upon answer to what this means due to “Armageddon” being cryptic
There were decisive battles in the plains of Megiddo and thus it is symbolic of the major battle that will occur between God and His enemies
19 “The kings came, they fought;
then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they got no spoils of silver.
29 In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him.
Revelation 16:17-21 - The Seventh Bowl of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:17-21 - The Seventh Bowl of God’s Wrath
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air
And a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
The redemptive plan has reached it’s end - the end of history has arrived
God’s wrath against sin/wickedness/evil has finished and His kingdom has been fully consummated
18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth
7 Seals
5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
7 Trumpets
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
7 Visions
8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
So great was that earthquake.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
19 The great city was split into three parts
1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
The great city of man - Babel/Babylon has finally fallen!
And the cities of the nations fell
Symbolic of every city/nation that rebels against the Lord - Babylon
And God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
The great city of man has led billions away from God and in turn the city will face the full wrath of God
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
Symbolic language revealing that old creation has been done away with
New creation is near and here
21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
Facing a chance to repent before final judgment evil humanity chooses to curse God instead of bowing the knee to Christ in repentance
Main Point
Main Point
The seven bowls of God’s wrath is poured out on those who have not repented. Those in Christ are called to remain spiritually pure so they do not face the wrath of God.
The seven bowls of God’s wrath is poured out on those who have not repented. Those in Christ are called to remain spiritually pure so they do not face the wrath of God.
How Should we Live in Light of Revelation 16:1-21?
How Should we Live in Light of Revelation 16:1-21?
(“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
First, be ready for the coming of the Son of Man
First, be ready for the coming of the Son of Man
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Second, live a spiritually and morally pure life unto God awaiting for the Son of Man
Second, live a spiritually and morally pure life unto God awaiting for the Son of Man
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.